Improvement in bayonet scabbards and guards



' J. G. ERNST.

Bayonet No. 37,222. Patented Dec. 23, 1862 N.FETEHS, PHOYO-LITHOGRAFHER. WASHXNGYON, u C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. ERNST, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BAYONET SCABBARDS AND GUARDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,222, dated December 23, 1862.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN G. ERNST, of the.

city and'county of York, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Combined Bayonet Scabbard and Guard; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a scabbard and guard with the bayonet secured therein. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the upper part of the same with aportion of the scabbard broken away to expose the interior, illustrating two difi'erent positions of the fastening.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.

The subject of my invention is, first, an improved device for securing a bayonet to a guard or scabbard; second, an improved construction of Scabbard adapted to serve also the purpose of a guard.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to fully understand and use the same, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A represents a Scabbard, and B a bayonet fitting therein.

0 is a spring, of any suitable'material,which may be secured within the scabbard by rivets c, and forms the means of attaching a ring, D, of peculiar form. The upper part, d, of the said ring is adapted to fit closely around the neck b of the bayonet and against the shoulders b of the blade, but too narrow to pass over the latter. The lower part, d, is sufficiently wide to slip easily off the shoulders, so that the bayonet may be withdrawn through the lower part of the ring.

E represents a ball of india-rubber or other soft or elastic material, secured by a socket, F,

to the lower end of the scabbard and constituting a guard to prevent any accidental injury from the point of the bayonet or scabbard.

Fig. 2 and the full lines in Fig. 1 show the ring D in position to prevent the withdrawal of the bayonet from the Scabbard. The scabbard, with its attached ball, may be thus retained upon the bayonet both at drill and on the march, and will effectually protect the point of the bayonet and prevent any accidental injury therefrom.

The scabbard may be suspended from the belt by ahook, G, or other suitable device, to admit of its ready detachment with the bayonet.

For practice in the bayonet exercise the bayonet is used with the guard-Scabbard upon it, as shown.

In order to release the bayonet from the scabbard for cleaning or for use in action, the ring D is first drawn up sufficiently to bring its narrow portion completely above the shouldersb of the bayonet, and then turned down over the said shoulders and over the top of the scabbard, as shown in red in Fig. 1. The bayonet is thus released, and may be withdrawn at will.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The ring D, adapted and employed to operate in combination with the spring 0 and guard or scabbar-d A, in the manner and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination of the guard-ball E with scabbard A to constitute a combined scabbard and guard, as explained.

The above specification .of my improvement in bayonet scabbards and .guards signed this 7th day of August, 1862.

' JOHN G. ERNST.

Vituesses:

CHARLES SMITH, J arms H. GRIDLEY. 

